Three days after Rita had left her, Emma was trudging back with the other Kobolds. It was almost dark, the looming clouds above promising another torrent of rain. Whipper was walking in front of them, taking a look across his shoulder every few minutes. He had raged for a day when he found out about Rita, whipping them on the way to and from the swampy area.

Emma wiped her hands on her brown and green stained jeans, wishing she could swim or wash. The swamp was the worst of the jobs they could get, one nobody wished for, and they had done it three days straight. If not for the scary three-eyed crocodiles, she might have tried fleeing in the knee-high bog. But between those monsters, the strange tingling she felt all over her legs when she stood in the muck, and the bow-wielding Goblins she didn't dare.

Unluckily they would have to keep doing it from now on because the blue Kobolds proved experts at traversing the swampy area and locating the ugly orange flowers the Goblins wanted. Smelling like dried farts, they were the size of Emma's fist when closed, and even the crocodiles seemed to despise their scent. Emma had found that the easiest way to find them was to go where none of the crocodiles were.

She raised her head, looking at the others of her now only seven Kobold strong group. Two more had died after Rita, one in the bog, snatched by a monstrous centipede and drawn under so fast it only managed a drowned out shout. The second was shot by the Goblins when a small cloud appeared above his head. Glowing water drops rained from it, healing a sharp whip mark on the stunned Kobolds face. The healing hadn't proven enough to help him when three arrows struck his back and chest.

Two meters from the gate, a haze covered Emma's vision, and she felt her mind drawn away. No, not now! Nooo- Her mental scream was cut.

--

The small dragon-blood looked around the shadowy cavern. A thick carpet of green moss covered the ceiling, beautiful large blue flowers hanging down like venus fly traps. A small lake covered most of the cavern floor, a ledge filled with soft sand the only dry place.

Satisfaction and curiosity shot through her mind as she felt the other's presence. Would she finally be allowed out of this beautiful prison? Although not capable of coherent thought, she knew it would mean that she would disappear or change.

The other seemed agitated and afraid. Curious about what was wrong, she used a mental finger to poke the presence.

"Send me back! Back!" A high-pitched scream tore through their collective minds, and in a shock, she shoved the other away.

--

Emma felt her face slam into the ground, and she blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of the residual image of the dream. At the same time, she pushed herself up, fearing what she might see. She gazed right in the narrowed eyes of Whipper.

The Goblin had turned around, probably when he heard something and was now examining her with distrust plain on his face. Feeling her heart skip a beat, Emma scrambled up.

"Sorry, I tripped!" she blurted, trying to look trustworthy.

Whipper frowned and stalked forward, slapping the rolled up whip in his hand. The other Kobolds began backing up, leaving Emma alone and in the open. A meter from her, Whipper stopped and looked her up and down while licking lips.

Emma shivered, taking a step back. What did he want?

"You wouldn't lie to me... now would you? I wouldn't like that!" Whipper took another step after her, and Emma glanced around, starting to panic. Memories from before the change surged forward. A girl from a shelter she had lived in, once told horror stories about what had happened to her. Heart pounding, she took a step back. Whippers green eyes narrowed, and he stalked closer.

Everyone started when loud yelling came from the logging site near the jungle edge. Whipper held Emma's eyes locked in place. He seemed to be struggling.

"Whipper!" One of the Goblins called seeming agitated.

With an angry snarl, Whipper turned away and moved towards the other Goblins.

Emma dashed away and hid behind Daniel, who was staring at her worriedly. She didn't want to look at him, though. He hadn't made a single move to help her. Instead, she looked at what had saved her.

Something was happening at the logging camp on the opposite side of the open area where they were. The Goblins that were usually watching the loggers were yelling and pointing at the edge of the jungle. Some shot arrows at something and focusing her gaze, Emma saw something running away. It was getting darker, and the shape was moving fast, but Emma thought she saw a flash of dark scales.

Melissa? Were they finally coming for her? Hope rushed through her, and she looked around, hoping to see an army of Kobold's charge from the jungle, led by a blue dragon. She felt her heart clench when she saw nothing but the green and purple vegetation, quietly moving in the wind.

As the group of Kobolds waited, the logging camp slowly calmed down again, and Whipper stalked back to the front of the group.

"Let's go! You, slaves, are going back in your basket so we can..." Whipper trailed off as if he realized to whom he was talking. Without another word, he turned towards the town and began marching off. The goblins behind began prodding the Kobolds with spears, trying to get them to move faster.

When they finally reached the open area in front of their shack, it was dark, and the rain started falling again. As Emma slogged through the mud, she felt the energy from the rain replenish her. It was only a little, but when the Goblins shoved them inside, Emma didn't collapse to the ground like she did the day before.

The group of Kobolds sat down, staring at each other, more energetic than usual when they came back.

"So, who do you think was that?" One of the Kobolds asked, looking around.

"How should we know?" Another answered, and within seconds the Kobolds were discussing all kinds of possibilities.

Emma sat in one of the corners, next to the door, her mind swirling with ideas. She had communicated with her Dragon-self! The realization had only just sunk in, but it managed to wipe away the heartache from before. Could she do that again? What if she could talk with the other and decide on the time of the change! She wanted to lie down and sleep right that moment, hoping she would get another lucid dragon-dream.

"Emma, are you ok?" Daniel looked at her, a slight frown on his face. "Did you really trip before?" The loud discussion of the other Kobold's continued unabated around them.

"Yes, I tripped and fell. Why?" Trying to keep her face even, Emma looked at him in feigned curiosity. Something about the other was starting to bother her, a feeling she couldn't put to words. It had started when he began trying to lie next to her when they slept.

"Just worried, that's all. Be careful. Whipper might kill you to be sure you aren't changing." Daniel smiled before lying down and closing his eyes.

Half an hour later, the temporary energy the rain had provided wore off, and the shack quieted. Emma had her back against the wall, feeling drowsy already. Taking a last look at Daniel, she closed her eyes and let sleep take her.

--

Sitting up from where she had lay curled up, the small Dragon looked around in surprise. What was that? Trying to sense what had drawn her attention, a slight tickle came from her mind.

The other was back! Was it time? Equal parts of fear and longing caused her to cautiously near the other. If she wanted, she could pull her in now. Sticking a mental paw out, she gently poked the foreign entity.

"Don't be afraid, and don't push me away again!" A soft voice, almost a whisper, caused her to draw back a bit. She didn't push it away, though.

The other spoke like the elders! The young Dragon wasn't capable of that, but instead send a feeling of a query, curiosity, and one-ness.

"You understand me? If only I could tell Jake..." A slight wave of sadness and despair spread through their minds for a moment. Then it was forcefully suppressed. "Listen, I am in danger. If you pull me to you now, they will kill me."

Kill the other? Indignant, the young Dragon blew hot steam from her nostrils. How dare anyone harm a Dragon to be? A wave of inherited memories told her this was an insult to her kind.

"Don't be angry. If we work together, we can become one without trouble!" A wave of information and ideas followed the words, and slowly the Dragon calmed down.

She lay down, listening to the plan the other had thought of, and slowly a wicked grin spread across her lips. Her Draconic tendency to love sly tricks approved of the other's proposition. She basked in the wave of happiness and joy from the other when she agreed wholeheartedly.